Oxidative stress has been suggested to be a contributory factor in complication of
diabetes mellitus. There are many reports indicating the change in parameter of
oxidative stress in alloxan induced diabetic rats, we aimed to find if the oxidative
stress which occurs in pancreas has a role in development of diabetes mellitus. This
was done by measuring plasma lipid profile, insulin, interleukin 8 (IL-8),
transforming growth factor α and reduced glutathione content in pancreas. The study
was carried on 30 rats, classified into 3 groups: control group, diabetic group in
which diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal (i.p) injection of alloxan
monohydrate (120 mg/kg of body weight), treated group in which rats were given
Nigella sativa extract i.p. (0.2 ml/kg/day), 2 week before injection of alloxan, these
injections were continued daily until the end of the study (for 4 weeks). The results
showed significant increase of plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low
density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), interleukin 8 and transforming growth factor
α in diabetic group, with significant decrease in high density lipoprotein cholesterol
(HDLc), reduced glutathione content in pancreas, and insulin level in diabetic group.
The treated groups showed significant reduction in plasma glucose, total cholesterol,
triglycerides, LDLc, interleukin 8 and transforming growth factor α with significant
increase in HDLc, reduced glutathione content in pancreas and insulin level. It could
be concluded that Nigella sativa treatment for 1.5 months in rats with experimentally
alloxan-induced diabetes increase the activity of the anti-oxidant defense system.
Thus, it could be used as an anti-diabetic complement in cases of diabetes mellitus.